Joshua Kearney
- Assistant Professor
- Director of Bands
Additional Information
Biography
Joshua Kearney is Assistant Professor and Director of Bands at the University of Nebraska at Omaha where he teaches courses in music education and conducting, conducts the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and oversees all aspects of the UNO band program. In addition to his duties at UNO, Dr. Kearney serves as Music Director of the Nebraska Wind Symphony. Kearney began his career as a teacher in the public schools south of Nashville, Tennessee.
Dr. Kearney has worked as an adjudicator and clinician for ensembles of all levels—maintaining an active guest conducting schedule locally and across the United States. Kearney regularly shares his research and experiences through conference presentations, lectures, and workshops around the country including: multiple state music conferences, the State University of New York at New Paltz, the Millard and Omaha Public Schools, College Music Society (CMS) regional and national conferences, conferences of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, and the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) conference in Prague. Under Kearney’s direction, both the Nebraska Wind Symphony and the UNO Symphonic Wind Ensemble have been selected as featured ensembles at the annual Nebraska Music Educators Association in-service conference.
An advocate of new music, Kearney often works with composers in the creation and performance of new works for winds. His direct efforts have contributed to pieces by Keith Davis, Catherine Likhuta, Giovanni Santos, Scott Boerma, Donald Grantham, Steven Bryant, Anthony O’Toole, Joseph Schwantner, and others. Dr. Kearney is an active editor and arranger, having provided music for the UNO Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the Columbus State University Wind Ensemble and Trombone Choir, the Southeast Trombone Symposium Professors Choir, the Springer Opera House (GA), and many selections for athletic bands. In 2020, Boosey & Hawkes announced plans to include Kearney’s educational edition of Georg Druschetzky’s Partita No. IV within their acclaimed Windependence Chamber Ensemble series. In 2017, Boosey & Hawkes also published Kearney’s critical edition of Emil Hartmann’s Serenade for Winds (Op. 43) which is regularly featured in prominent conducting symposia throughout the United States. Additionally, Presser Music has included Dr. Kearney’s transcription of Charles Ives’ Variations on ‘America’ for trombone choir within their catalog—receiving its premiere at the 2021 International Trombone Festival by the Southeast Trombone Symposium Professors Choir.
Kearney earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from Michigan State University where he studied with Kevin Sedatole and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Columbus State University (GA) where he was a student of Jamie L. Nix. Kearney holds affiliations with the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association, the Nebraska Music Educators Association, the National Association for Music Education, the College Music Society, the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, and the College Band Directors National Association. Kearney has served on the Executive Board for the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association and in multiple leadership roles on committees within the College Band Directors National Association.
Additional Information
Biography
Joshua Kearney is Assistant Professor and Director of Bands at the University of Nebraska at Omaha where he teaches courses in music education and conducting, conducts the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and oversees all aspects of the UNO band program. In addition to his duties at UNO, Dr. Kearney serves as Music Director of the Nebraska Wind Symphony. Kearney began his career as a teacher in the public schools south of Nashville, Tennessee.
Dr. Kearney has worked as an adjudicator and clinician for ensembles of all levels—maintaining an active guest conducting schedule locally and across the United States. Kearney regularly shares his research and experiences through conference presentations, lectures, and workshops around the country including: multiple state music conferences, the State University of New York at New Paltz, the Millard and Omaha Public Schools, College Music Society (CMS) regional and national conferences, conferences of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, and the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) conference in Prague. Under Kearney’s direction, both the Nebraska Wind Symphony and the UNO Symphonic Wind Ensemble have been selected as featured ensembles at the annual Nebraska Music Educators Association in-service conference.
An advocate of new music, Kearney often works with composers in the creation and performance of new works for winds. His direct efforts have contributed to pieces by Keith Davis, Catherine Likhuta, Giovanni Santos, Scott Boerma, Donald Grantham, Steven Bryant, Anthony O’Toole, Joseph Schwantner, and others. Dr. Kearney is an active editor and arranger, having provided music for the UNO Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the Columbus State University Wind Ensemble and Trombone Choir, the Southeast Trombone Symposium Professors Choir, the Springer Opera House (GA), and many selections for athletic bands. In 2020, Boosey & Hawkes announced plans to include Kearney’s educational edition of Georg Druschetzky’s Partita No. IV within their acclaimed Windependence Chamber Ensemble series. In 2017, Boosey & Hawkes also published Kearney’s critical edition of Emil Hartmann’s Serenade for Winds (Op. 43) which is regularly featured in prominent conducting symposia throughout the United States. Additionally, Presser Music has included Dr. Kearney’s transcription of Charles Ives’ Variations on ‘America’ for trombone choir within their catalog—receiving its premiere at the 2021 International Trombone Festival by the Southeast Trombone Symposium Professors Choir.
Kearney earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from Michigan State University where he studied with Kevin Sedatole and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Columbus State University (GA) where he was a student of Jamie L. Nix. Kearney holds affiliations with the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association, the Nebraska Music Educators Association, the National Association for Music Education, the College Music Society, the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, and the College Band Directors National Association. Kearney has served on the Executive Board for the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association and in multiple leadership roles on committees within the College Band Directors National Association.